An unwanted 'outbreak' for traditional gaming

Published: Monday, July 8, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 5, 2013 at 5:48 p.m.

By definition, a pathogen represents a tiny infectious agent that can wreak havoc on its host environment.

Sure, many of us have seen the movie "Outbreak," but what does that have to do with technology?

Cue drum roll.

I introduce Ouya, the $99 Android-powered gaming cube that connects to your television and offers free-to-try downloadable video games.

Mobile gaming might have started small but is slowly overtaking this once invincible billion-dollar industry.

The recently announced Ouya might represent a ripple in the vast gaming waters, especially compared to the recent splash of new consoles announced by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Still, when an emerging pathogen like Ouya meets a weak host, great damage is inevitable.

Let's face it, the number of people who go bonkers spending hours on the couch mindlessly blowing things up has shrunk considerably.

I come from the Pac-Man generation and have continued to be faithful to gaming even as I increasingly feel way too old to be shopping at GameStop.

Eventually us old-timers have to worry about those sore thumbs becoming arthritic.

What I see is people like me who are just as happy to fiddle around with some strategy game on their tablet or smartphone than to make an investment in gaming in the living room.

Even the younger generation seems just as happy with an iPhone as they do with a traditional remote control.

Price is another factor that will be interesting to see play out this year with the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.

Are people ready to throw down $400 or $500 for a new system?

Sure, gamers are excited, but will it be the same pandemonium we saw with prior releases seven years ago?

What about games?

Many casual gamers have become accustomed to the mobile platform where games might not be as advanced but they are free or darn close to it.

Blowing $60 for the same tired game franchises is not as popular as it once was.

Perhaps traditional gaming is, indeed, a vulnerable weak host.

Have I mentioned Ouya sold out immediately on Amazon and GameStop?

Ouya cannot match the level of gaming of the big consoles.

But just as mobile computers could not match their bigger desktop companions, it's not always about better in the tech world.

It's about new and different.

Ouya is open-source, so developers can easily port new game offerings straight to the device.

This should have the big gaming studios shaking in their boots.

Reminds me of when mobile apps began their assault on traditional software.

Was it better?

No, but it was new and different.

Truthfully, Ouya will probably never become a household name.

In fact, they might be just a few years away from the shelves of Goodwill, but, as with any good infectious disease, you have mutations and in this case we are talking about two potentially huge mutations — Google and Apple.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Google is cooking up an Android console of its own, and that one of its motives is to thwart a potential Apple console.

While Google flopped with its Nexus Q entertainment device last year over bugs and glitches, it certainly has the resources and the platform to create a groundbreaking console.

Apple, on the other hand, holds the ace because of its Apple TV that has quietly sold 7 million units in the past year.

While late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously called the Apple TV a hobby of his, it could easily be transformed into the next big online gaming system.

Will mobile consoles become an epidemic the likes of Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony?

Only time will tell, but they would not be the first game systems that have had their gravestones written.

Just ask Atari, Sega and Commodore.

Ironically, even Apple is represented in this cemetery with its failed Bandai Pippin console from 1996.

<p>By definition, a pathogen represents a tiny infectious agent that can wreak havoc on its host environment. </p><p>Sure, many of us have seen the movie "Outbreak," but what does that have to do with technology?</p><p>Cue drum roll.</p><p>I introduce Ouya, the $99 Android-powered gaming cube that connects to your television and offers free-to-try downloadable video games.</p><p>Mobile gaming might have started small but is slowly overtaking this once invincible billion-dollar industry.</p><p>The recently announced Ouya might represent a ripple in the vast gaming waters, especially compared to the recent splash of new consoles announced by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.</p><p>Still, when an emerging pathogen like Ouya meets a weak host, great damage is inevitable.</p><p>Let's face it, the number of people who go bonkers spending hours on the couch mindlessly blowing things up has shrunk considerably.</p><p>I come from the Pac-Man generation and have continued to be faithful to gaming even as I increasingly feel way too old to be shopping at GameStop.</p><p>Eventually us old-timers have to worry about those sore thumbs becoming arthritic.</p><p>What I see is people like me who are just as happy to fiddle around with some strategy game on their tablet or smartphone than to make an investment in gaming in the living room.</p><p>Even the younger generation seems just as happy with an iPhone as they do with a traditional remote control.</p><p>Price is another factor that will be interesting to see play out this year with the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.</p><p>Are people ready to throw down $400 or $500 for a new system?</p><p>Sure, gamers are excited, but will it be the same pandemonium we saw with prior releases seven years ago?</p><p>What about games?</p><p>Many casual gamers have become accustomed to the mobile platform where games might not be as advanced but they are free or darn close to it.</p><p>Blowing $60 for the same tired game franchises is not as popular as it once was.</p><p>Perhaps traditional gaming is, indeed, a vulnerable weak host.</p><p>Have I mentioned Ouya sold out immediately on Amazon and GameStop?</p><p>Ouya cannot match the level of gaming of the big consoles.</p><p>But just as mobile computers could not match their bigger desktop companions, it's not always about better in the tech world.</p><p>It's about new and different. </p><p>Ouya is open-source, so developers can easily port new game offerings straight to the device.</p><p>This should have the big gaming studios shaking in their boots.</p><p>Reminds me of when mobile apps began their assault on traditional software.</p><p>Was it better?</p><p>No, but it was new and different.</p><p>Truthfully, Ouya will probably never become a household name.</p><p>In fact, they might be just a few years away from the shelves of Goodwill, but, as with any good infectious disease, you have mutations and in this case we are talking about two potentially huge mutations — Google and Apple.</p><p>The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Google is cooking up an Android console of its own, and that one of its motives is to thwart a potential Apple console.</p><p>While Google flopped with its Nexus Q entertainment device last year over bugs and glitches, it certainly has the resources and the platform to create a groundbreaking console.</p><p>Apple, on the other hand, holds the ace because of its Apple TV that has quietly sold 7 million units in the past year.</p><p>While late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously called the Apple TV a hobby of his, it could easily be transformed into the next big online gaming system.</p><p>Will mobile consoles become an epidemic the likes of Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony?</p><p>Only time will tell, but they would not be the first game systems that have had their gravestones written. </p><p>Just ask Atari, Sega and Commodore.</p><p>Ironically, even Apple is represented in this cemetery with its failed Bandai Pippin console from 1996.</p>